ABOUT US
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Established in 2014, the Fellowship has brought nearly 7,800 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training. The Fellows, between the ages of 25 and 35, are accomplished innovators and leaders in their communities and countries.
Learn MoreBUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.
Program Impact
-
49
?Sub-Saharan African CountriesFellows have come from all 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. -
7,800
?Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni NetworkSince 2014, nearly 7,800 Fellowship Alumni have completed the program. -
87,000
?Hours of Support Dedicated to U.S. CommunitiesSince 2014, Fellows have dedicated more than 87,000 hours to support U.S. communities during their Leadership Institutes. -
2,400
?U.S. Companies and Organizations EngagedSince 2014, the Fellowship has engaged approximately 2,400 institutions from the private, nonprofit, governmental, and multilateral sectors across the United States during Institutes, PDEs, Reciprocal Exchanges, and the Summit.
News
News
2025 Mandela Washington Fellows Arrive in the United States
June 23, 2025
News
Meet the 2025 Catalyst Grant Winner
May 1, 2025
News
U.S. Educational Institutions to Host Mandela Washington Fellows
April 17, 2025
News
Applications for 2025 Reciprocal Exchange Component Now Open
April 7, 2025
Learn more about the Mandela Washington Fellowship!
“The PDE Fellow helped us examine our processes, streamline tools, sharpen our systems, and connect local impact with global perspectives. His insights contributed directly to the development of our TechRise app (a digital resource for students trying to break into tech careers), where he drafted specifications and gathered feedback to improve its design and functionality. The benefits of this PDE will carry forward in our projects, partnerships, and the way we design for the future.”
– We Create Tech, PDE Host Organization (Atlanta, Georgia)
Fellowship Directory
Including Fellows, Reciprocal Exchange Participants, and U.S. Partners
Explore Fellowship Directory